Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff all reached the last 16 as the WTA Rome Open begins to heat up.
Osaka is ranked at 173 in the world after taking a break from the tour to have her first child but is in good form, yet to drop a set after beating 10th-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-3.
CLAYOMI ✨@naomiosaka takes out No. 10 seed Kasatkina 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Round of 16 in Rome!#IBI24 pic.twitter.com/tgHmnbwj9n
— wta (@WTA) May 11, 2024
"I'm very grateful to be healthy because I know how much hard work it took for me to be here," said four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who will next play seventh-seed Zheng Qinwen.
"I feel like I'm just clawing my way back to hopefully where I think I belong."
World number one Swiatek will next face Angelique Kerber after seeing off Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-4 as she bids to become the first woman since Serena Williams to claim a third Rome title.
Hitting her marks 🎾@iga_swiatek comes back from being down 1-4 in the second set and defeats Putinseva 6-3, 6-4. #IBI24 pic.twitter.com/wIw7n9nPOv
— wta (@WTA) May 11, 2024
The 22-year-old came into the event having won the Madrid Open last weekend and will also be gunning for a fourth French Open crown later this month.
Third seed Gauff meanwhile has Spain's Paula Badosa in the last 16 after the US Open champion battled to a 6-1, 0-6, 6-3 victory over Jaqueline Cristian.
Coco comes through 💪@CocoGauff survives a mid-match surge from Cristian to advance 6-1, 0-6, 6-3 in Rome.#IBI24 pic.twitter.com/7sUigkCcOp
— wta (@WTA) May 11, 2024